As much as I love dining at Fresh restaurant, trying new-to-me vegan restaurants is one of my favourite things to do, especially if it is close by.
Enter The Naked Sprout – Burlington’s (mostly) organic, raw & cooked, vegan, and gluten-free restaurant. It’s a 15 minute drive from me, making it the closest vegan restaurant in my area. My friend Heather took me here for my birthday a few weeks ago and I was excited to try it out after listening to her (and many of you) rave about it. Heather and I met through my Glo Bars a couple years ago. She was a regular customer and visitor to my stand at the Farmer’s Market in Oakville. We stayed in touch through email and when I moved to Oakville (where she also lives) I suggested we meet up. It’s been a lovely friendship ever since.
Here’s what intrigues me about The Naked Sprout: they offer raw and cooked vegan meals, reflecting how the owners eat in their everyday lives. I enjoy raw food quite a bit, but I also love my cooked food and was happy to see this flexibility on their menu. Oddly enough, my first two meals here were raw. I guess I can thank the summer heat for dictating what I crave!
Some raw menu items include:
- kelp noodle salad
- zucchini pasta
- pizza
- rawsangna
Some cooked menu items include:
- BBQ burger
- soba noodle bowl
- protein power bowl
- pesto allergro
For an appetizer, we shared the Skinny Dip Platter made up of parsnip hemp thyme bread sticks, lemon dill pate, creamy garlic hummus, spiced olives, sun dried tomato tapenade. It was excellent and so flavourful. I need to figure out how to make those raw bread sticks stat.
For my main, I ordered the Big Green Earth Salad.
Inside this huge bowl: Mixed greens, massaged kale, lemon dill pate, red kidney beans, carrots,
tomatoes, shredded beets, avocado, tempeh. I got it without tempeh because I’m not a fan. The salad was great…filling and delicious!
The restaurant is quite spacious and they take reservations (bonus!), so I figured it would be a fun spot for a get together. I emailed the running group (the one I started to organize prior to my knee injury) to see if anyone wanted to join me and about 10 of us made it out. I was excited….and scared all at the same time! I always get extremely anxious before these types of things, but as always, I had a great time and everyone was super friendly. When will my anxiety ever learn?
A group shot: Natalie, Julie, Jennifer, Char, Ange, Vanessa, Rachel, Daniela, and Chelsea.
I started with the Green Scene juice made up of Cucumber, cilantro, kale, celery, romaine, lemon.
It looked green and it tasted green…just the way I like it!
For my entree, I ordered the taco salad. The base is a bed of mixed greens, with a huge scoop of guacamole in the middle, salsa fresco, sprinkled with sunflower taco meat all topped off with cashew sour cream. It comes with a salad dressing, but I didn’t find it necessary. It was flavourful and quite dense without being heavy.
Keep your eyes peeled for a Naked Sprout inspired taco salad recipe coming up!
A couple ladies enjoyed the raw tacos (heard they are great!)
and the Protein Power Bowl was a hit too.
For dessert, Vegan Cupcakes via Kind restaurant in Burlington were quite popular at our table!
This chocolate peppermint tastes just like Grasshopper pie. Yum.
and I heard the Chocolate Coconut was amazing too.
Thanks again to everyone for coming out!
The rest of the weekend was spent working on a to-do list: mountains of laundry, recipe testing, cleaning, and eating watermelon.
Lots and lots of watermelon.
I also went on a couple runs and enjoyed some evening walks with the hubby.
The weather was amazing on Sunday…sunny and 30C! Pinch me.
If you are in the area and would like to be put on the email list for future meet ups, let me know below. I’m also starting a running group that will meet on Sunday mornings in different places around the city. The first one kicks off next Sunday, so if you are up for it, let me know in the comments and I’ll add ya!
Eric and I also want to get into sailing. How does one go about sailing without a boat? If any of you might know how to get started sailing in Oakville or if you know anyone who is looking for help, we’d appreciate the tips.
Have a great start to your week!
What fun! On a side note – any dessert that resembles grasshopper pie has gotta’ be good. ;)
I would love to be added to your list for a future meet up. I live in the area, and while I frequent Kind Food (ALOT), I’ve always wanted to try the Naked Sprout. Thanks for the review and pics!
Awesome, I just added you Melanie.
ooooooh….i want to go to there….The Skinny Dip Platter may just be enough to snap me out of my own watermelon-induced coma…
Glad you mentioned you’re not a tempeh person…i’m not either and now i feel better about that. Liking tempeh is not a requirement…phew
heh I always feel like the odd one out too
Social anxiety is not fun, but I think good experiences like this one make it a tas easier the next time around!
yes I totally agree :)
Action breeds confidence!
Yum! Looks so delicious!
That place looks really fresh and tasty! I love checking out new vegan spots nearby. I especially like discovering new ones I never knew of. Wish I could come to one of those meetups, but I’m all the way in Chicago!
mmm you just reminded me of Karyn’s on Green… :) Almost worth the trip just for that food!
What a lovely meet up. Talk about some good eats!! I have always wanted to go there. I believe SC got voted as “the nicest people” live there too. ;)
I agree with your comment about Tempeh…or did, until I tried Tempeh “F”acon. Have you tried it? It is so delicious. We use it to make our version of a BLT with tomato, spinach, avocado, daiya, and vegenaise. They are to die for. Mix 3 tbsp low sodium soya sauce, 3 tbsp maple syrup, and 1 tsp liquid smoke. Slice the tempeh very thinly lengthwise to create “F” acon strips. Marinate for at least 5 mins, the longer the better. Then heat a frying pan on high, place tempeh strips on. Let them really smoke, flip, repeat and you’re done. You can add the excess marinade to the pan as well. It’s phenominous ;)
I haven’t tried that Jaime, but that does sound good!
That was such a great meet-up. I need another one just to sample more items on the menu. I totally need to get that taco salad next time…with a few other things ;) I think I can swing the whole “2” meals now…if you know what I mean! haha
And basically, if I could set up in the spare bedroom at your place after because I never like leaving Oakville…how could you! Especially if I need to be right back there on Sunday’s for the running group! lol
hah 2 meals is totally necessary always ;)
You are welcome here anytime Char!
Count me in for a meet-up! :) I’m often in the Oakville area and would love to try out some new places.
Great, I just added you :)
I live in Mississauga (or at least I will be living back in Mississauga when I finish school in less than 2 weeks) and would love to be part of a meetup group and running group! I was just thinking about how I wish I had people to run with – I was thinking of joining the Running Room for some of their runs, but this works too!
thanks Christie, I just added you to the list. Hope to meet you soon!
Hi Angela! That restaurant looks amazing! I love the presentation of the foods – they all look so yummy. I would love to be on the email list, i just started running this year and am in love. Also I want to thank you for letting me know about the PC organics almond milk – tastes identical to Blue Diamond, and is the same price. I have been trying out many different kinds, and some of them just don’t do it for me.
I’m glad you love the PC almond milk…it’s my new go-to and I LOVE that it’s organic and the same price. Hard to say no!
I will add you to the list too :)
How beautiful! I’ve only been to one vegan/raw restaurant that I like… all the others try really hard and kind of flop with flavorless, bland recipes. Wish this one would come to FL! :)
Wow, that looks like a fabulous restaurant!
Thanks again for organizing that lunch Angela – I had such a great time! Also the two meals you’ve eaten there both look amazing. I want to give that Big Green Earth salad a try next time I’m there. It’s too bad you don’t like tempeh though since they use so much of it. I noticed they don’t really use tofu – I wonder why?
It was such a pleasure meeting you too! I hope to see you again soon. :)
I noticed that too about tempeh….I wonder why. I should ask them next time. I wonder if it’s possible to sub in tofu for some dishes?
I would love it if they could do that – I prefer tofu too! I guess we’ll need to go again soon to find out. ;)
I need a place like that in my life – all of that food looks and sounds so great – tasty AND nourishing. You got a great group out too!
The naked sprout looks fabulous! Wish I had one near me :) Also I ate insane amounts of watermelon this weekend! It’s so light and refreshing but soo sweet and flavorful, my summer fav :)
I looove your site and your story is so inspiring! I struggle with some of the same things you did, but I’m getting better every day :) I was wondering if you’ve ever done/would consider doing a talk/speech of some kind. I know so many people who love your site and would love to hear your journey into veganism and your story.
Yes I would love to do that at some point in the future! I actually want to do a toastmasters thing to get me comfortable with public speaking again. I hear they are great!
I went there recently and LOVED it. My family made it a stop on the way back to my university after a bit of a struggle convincing my parents to try vegan food for the first time. This restaurant turned my very skeptical father into a lover of vegan food. He’s actually been experimenting with it quite a bit! I strongly recommend the Reuben, the tacos, and the key lime pie for dessert. Delicious!
Dad’s can be the toughest critics! Glad it passed the test :)
I am not a runner, but I would love to do a meet up! I just relocated to Toronto from Saint John NB about 2 weeks ago and would love the opportunity to network. The first week I arrived I went straight to Fresh on Bloor, then to Freesen, and Live Organic Food Restaurants. While I was at Fresh I got my hands on a Vegetarian directory. I am a Raw/Vegan and ever since I read about it in the directory I have wanted to try the Naked Sprout. I was very excited to see the pics you posted from there – thank you!
great I will add you to the list! Hope to meet you soon :)
That must have been a big move!!!! I moved from Riverview NB to Milton ON and I found it a huge change! How are you liking it?
So far so good! Thanks for asking :) I really look forward to meeting soon! I just created a twitter account, my first tweet? Your taco salad recipe! Thanks for sharing :)